Filter



J11)"25, 1933. v. c, NoRQUAlsT Er AL 1,919,448

FILTER y Filed Feb. 15, 1930 BY Qr/ f Ffa/Par f rammed July z5, 1933UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE VICTOR, C. NORQUIST AND EARL E. TBEANOR, OFKANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS T BUTLER MANUFACTURING COMPAN TIOlIOIEv MISSOURI n Y, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, A GORPORA- FILTERApplication led February 15, 1930. Serial No. 428,575.

This invention relates to improvements in filters and refers moreparticularly to ,filters adapted to remove solid suspended material fromdry cleaning solvents, such filters adapted to be connected into drycleanlng systems, and used to receive the discharge upper portion of thelter surrounding thev shaped deposits,

from the washers to separate the dirt and solid ymaterial prior tosubsequent separation of the materials in solution, .such as soap or thelike, taken out by chemicals orv by distillation. It may also be used asa separate unit in a cyclic dry cleaning system wherein the filter isthe sole purifying dev1ce. l

The novelty in the invention lies primari- 1y in the use of a verticalcontainer having a collection chamber in the bottom thereof in which ismaintained a relatively stagnant pool where the dirt and spent filtercake are accumulated; furthermore, the construction permits of adownward flow of the materials in their passage through the lilter andan arrangement ,of vertical leaves connected to a manifold near thebottom of Vthe housing or casing which produces a more uniform depositof the filter aid 3 upon the leaves, distributing the line and coarseparticles uniforml and eliminating the accumulation of the lter aid uponthe leaves in pearthus producing more eilicient operation and bringinginto eiect the entire surface of the individual leaves for the ilteringaction. This construction permits fiushing out the spent filter cake anddirt from the bottom chamber of the lter without disturbing the solventin the filter leaves.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of m device showingportions of the casing bro en away; Figure 2 is a horizontal sectiontaken about midway the top and bottom of the device; and Fig. 3 is avertical section taken through th`e pipe 15 and transversely theretoshowing the mounting of the ilter leaf on the conduit 15.

Referring to the drawing, the lilter consists of a housing orcylindrical casing 1 positioned upon legs or standards 2. The

top edge is grooved to receive a head 3 which makes a pressure-tightjoint with the to of the housing. This-housin is held in p ace by meansof a plurality o clampinof screws 4 pivoted to lugs 5 extending out fromthe housing, and hand wheels 6 which are screwed onto the clamping bolts5 and contact the outer fiange of thehead. In order to facilitate theremoval of the head an arm 7 is attached to the center of the head andis pivoted on an upright bar 8 to the lower extremity of which is alixeda rack 9. This upright bar or stanchion ma be raised and lowered bymeans of a han le 10 operating a gear within the casing 11 which mesheswith the rack 9. A support member 12 is affixed to the side of thehousing and holds the upright bar 8 and gear casing 11.

A hand hole plate 13 held in position by a yoke 14 serves as aclean-'out opening for the bottom vof the ilter and may be used tosupplement the flushing operation hereinafter described.

Through the lilter container or casing, somewhat above the bottomthereof, extends a discharge manifold 15, and in this dischargemanifoldare a plurality of openings which are bored with a shoulder suchas shown in Fig. 3 to receive the slip joint nipple 16 which is attachedto the bottom of each one of the lter leaves.

vThe filter leaves as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are a plurality of platesconsisting of an outer Jframe 17 which surrounds a central coarse-meshedscreen 18 having a finer meshcd screen 19 on both sides of the heaviermeshedV screen. The finer mesh is preferably woven from metal which isnon-corrosive to moisture or acid. As suggested, the slip joint nipplesby means of which the leaves are positioned in the manifold are attachedto the metal of each leafv along the bottomedge of the frame. Theleaves' are of the same height and vary in widthaccording to theirposition within the cylindrical casing.

Entering at'the back of the lter is an inlet pipe 2 which divides itselfinto a Y within the filter casing, the ends of lthe Y being upturned toform the stand pipes 21 and 22. At t/he bottom of the filter is a Monelmetal wire or other discharge pipe 23 controlled by a valve 24. Alsoconnected into' the casing below the manifold 15 are two pipes, one asolvent or sludge drawoff pipe 25 and the other a water inlet pipe 27regulated by a valve 28.

In operation the filter is hooked into the reclaiming portion of a drycleaning system so that the discharge from the washer is connected tothe yinlet pipe 20. The dis charge pipe 15 from the manifold isconnected back to the washer to return clean solvent back to the washeror to a clarifier or still by means of which the solvent is relieved ofmaterials in solution. There is added to the cleaning solvent a materialknown as a filter aid in the art, consisting of diatomaceous earth orother finely dividedf material which is carried along in suspension inthe solvent and is deposited in the form of a layer upon the surfaces ofthe filter leaves. The solvent with this material in suspension passesthrough the inlet pipe 20 and is discharged into the top of` the filterthrou h the pipes 21 and 22. When the filter as been filled with liquidthe liquid solvent, due to the pressure of the incoming solvent, will bedischarged by passing through the fine screens andl thence through thedischarge nipples 16 into the manifold 15. In passing t rou h the filterleaves a layer or filter ca e will deposited upon each of the leavesofthe filter.

Whenhthe filter leaves have been given what is Aknown as a pre-coat offilter aid material, 'the filter isthen ready to be used in the system,the circulation upto this time being merely for the purpose ofdepositing the lter aid upon the leaves of the filter. After a batch ofgarments has been washedf in', the washer the dirty or soiled solutioncontaining deleterious matter including dirt, thread and particles ofcellaneous substancesinl suspension, is carried with l,the solvent intothe filter and there deposited upon the leaves of the lter with thefilter aid. This operation is continued with suc cessive batches ofgarments, a filter being connected with one or more washers, accordin toits capacity. In this way the filter ca e gradually builds up on theouter vsurface of the leaves of the filter and in time` the accumulationwill fill up the space between the leaves. This may be ascertained bythe increase in pressure which is necessary to cause the solvent to passthrough the lter. When this pressure becomes eX- cessive, tem, the topremoved and the leaves scraped by means of 'a narrow hoe-shapedinstrument which passes down between the leaves and i'removes the cakefrom the outside surface of the leaves, permitting it to gravitate tothe bottom of the container, or what is termed the spent cake chamber ofthe filter. This removal of the filter cake is re-v the filter may becut out, of the syspeated from time to time as is necessary until thefilter aid and dirt scraped from the leaves accumulates in the spentcake chamber of the filter to such'an extent that it is built up to thebottom of the leaves. At this time the filter is again cut out of thesystem by valves on the inlet and discharge pipes after which the valve24 in the waste line 23 is opened and water under tap pressure isintroduced through the pipe 27 by manipulating the valve 28. This waterflushes out the dirt and filter cake which has accumulated in the bottomof the chamber Without disturbing the solvent which stands in the filterabove the manifold 15. The i11 troduction of the flushing water may beby' means of a spray nozzle at theI end of the pipe within thecontainer, which will spray the entire inside surface of the chamber.When this accumulated filter cake and dirt has been eliminated from thebottom of the filter the valve 28 is closed apd vthe valve 29 in therelief line 30 connected into the housing near its closing is opened,which permits air to pass intothe container, draining out through, thebottom waste ipe 23 the water used or flushing out thefilter cake. Whenthis water andadirt has been discharged, the valve 24 is again closedand additional solvent is added through pipe 20 to fill the filter,valve 29 being open. Valve 29 is then closed and the filter is againready to go into operation. A pressure gauge 31 is connected into thesideof the filter to designate the pressure'maintained thereon at alltimes.

It is recognized that heretofore it has been common practice to removesuspended material from solvents by means of leaves connected into amanifold in this manner, but the arrangement by means of which thesolvent is circulated downwardly through a container with a spent filtercake ,chamber below the leaves of the filter and positioned so that thefilter cake and dirt may be fiushed out of the filter without disturbingand draining the solvent, afford an operation not heretoforecontemplated in dry cleaning systems. The down flow system serves toevenly distributethe filter aid upon the leaves of the filter withoutaccumulating the pear-shaped deposits as it usuall does where the upflow arrangement is use By introducing the solvent at the to of thelfilter there is eliminated agitation o the dirty solvent whichaccumulates in the bottom where the stagnant filter aid accumulates withthe dirt scraped from the leaves.

The solvent sludge drain 25 is connected into the filter just below themanifold in order that the solvent may be drained from the filterwithout disturbing the filter cake accumulated in the bottom of thefilter. The hand holeplate 13 is unnecessary normally to remove thefilter cake which can readily' be flushed from the chamber. It is,however,

a plurality of spaced filter screens disposedl Within said container,comprising triple ply screen leaves, the central screen being coarse intexture and adaptedto support flner mesh outer screens, said screensbeing made of Monel metal or similar non-corrosive metal, framessupporting said lter screens, fittings adapted to permit the passage ofliquid therethrough secured to said frames, and communicating with theinter-screen area, an outlet manifold positioned substantiallydiametrically across within and atthe lower end of said containeradapted. to support said screens and provided with seats for saidfittings, an inlet pipe for the fluid to be filtered, a standpipepositioned within said container and communicatingv with said inletpipe, said standpipe having an outlet in the upper portion of saidcontainer, whereby the iiow of liquid is downward whereby agitation ofthe sediment is precluded and an even distribution of a ilter aid iseffected.

2. A ilter as in claim 1 including in combination a drain for withdrawnsediment which collects in the bottom of said container and a Hush pipefor Washing out said filter bottom.

VICTOR C. NORQUIST. EARL E. TREAN OR.

